Device for controlling the temperature of objects

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for controlling the temperature of objects, especially for drying or cooling objects, said device comprising a housing containing at least two tempering units which are arranged in a functionally parallel manner. Each tempering unit comprises a tunnel-type usable space in which tempered air is applied to the objects. Said objects can be displaced through the usable spaces by means of a respective transport system. According to the invention, the at least two tempering units are superimposed in the housing essentially above the same base surface.

The invention relates to an apparatus for thermally conditioningobjects, in particular vehicle bodies, comprising

-   -   a) a housing;    -   b) at least two thermally conditioning facilities which are        arranged parallel in their operation, are accommodated in the        housing and each comprise        -   ba) a tunnel-like useful space, in which the objects can be            impinged by thermally conditioned air;        -   bb) a conveying system, by which the objects can be moved            through the useful space.

The term “thermally conditioning” is used in the present case as ageneric term for all ways in which the temperature of the air by whichobjects are to be impinged is adjusted to a specific value. Thus,“thermally conditioning” can mean, for example, “heating”, which is ofimportance particularly when the apparatus is designed as a drier.However, “thermally conditioning” can also be “cooling” if the objectsare to be brought to a lower temperature.

Apparatuses of the type mentioned at the outset are known from themarket in the automotive industry, where painted vehicle bodies or bodycomponents are to be dried or cooled. To increase the drying or coolingcapacity, a plurality of parallel-arranged thermally conditioningfacilities, i.e. drying or cooling facilities, are frequently employed,these being guided either in each case as “individual tubes” throughseparate housings or, lying one beside the other, through one and thesame housing. However, the space requirement of these known apparatusesis relatively high.

The object of the present invention is to configure an apparatus of thetype mentioned at the outset such that it better meets theconstructional conditions at the place where it is to be installed.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that

-   -   c) the at least two thermally conditioning devices are arranged        one above the other in the housing, substantially over the same        floor area.

With the present invention it is recognised that the “valuablecommodity” at the place of installation of the apparatus is less theconstructional height than the floor area. By arranging, in accordancewith the invention, the thermally conditioning facilities not one besidebut one above the other in the housing, floor area is saved for a giventhroughput. The arrangement of the plurality of thermally conditioningfacilities one above the other additionally enables the operatingprinciple of the so-called “A-lock”, which is already employed in knowndriers, to be utilised or enhanced.

Particularly simple constructionally is that configuration of theinvention in which the air path on which the thermally conditioned airflows to a first thermally conditioning facility leads through a secondthermally conditioning facility. It is thus possible to save on airducts, since part of the air path to the first thermally conditioningfacility is provided by the second thermally conditioning facility.

If a permanent air connection exists between the at least two thermallyconditioning facilities, both thermally conditioning facilities mustalways be operated simultaneously and in parallel. Adaptation to theparticular temperature demand, i.e. a change of the capacity of theapparatus, is permitted by that configuration of the invention in whichthere is provided in the air path a device by which the passage ofthermally conditioned air from the second thermally conditioningfacility into the first thermally conditioning facility can beinterrupted if required. This apparatus can therefore be run at twodifferent capacities: at a larger capacity, in the case of which boththermally conditioning facilities are in operation, and at a smallercapacity, which corresponds to the capacity of that, second thermallyconditioning facility through which the air path leads first of all.

In the simplest case, the connection in question can be interruptedmanually by an appropriate part which is inserted into the air path. Forexample, a grating, through which the air flows from the secondthermally conditioning facility into the first thermally conditioningfacility, can be manually exchanged for a closed metal plate.

It is more convenient if the device for interrupting the air path is acontrollable flap or a closable louvre.

If the at least two thermally conditioning facilities at leastregionally divide the air path on which the air is discharged from theuseful spaces, again a reduction of the outlay on apparatus, inparticular of the air ducts required, is possible.

Even greater operating flexibility is permitted by an exemplaryembodiment of the invention in which the air path on which the thermallyconditioned air flows to the first thermally conditioning facility isindependent of the air path on which the thermally conditioned air flowsto the second thermally conditioning facility. For then it is possibleto run the apparatus either at the total capacity of all the individualthermally conditioning facilities, at the capacity of part of thethermally conditioning facilities or else with each thermallyconditioning facility individually.

As already mentioned above, the apparatus can be designed as a drier; itthen has at least one heating unit for thermally conditioning the air.

It is particularly preferable if the drier according to the inventionhas the same number of heating units as there are drying facilities. Ifindividual drying facilities within the whole drier are then shut down,a corresponding number of heating units can likewise be stopped, thisbeing associated with considerable energy savings. Moreover, it ispossible to use different air temperatures in the different dryingfacilities within the same drier.

As likewise already mentioned above, the apparatus according to theinvention can also be designed as a cooler. In this case, at least onefan is provided, which sucks in fresh air and introduces it as thermallyconditioned air into the useful spaces of the cooling facilities. If thecooling effect of the air of the outside atmosphere is not sufficient,at least one cooling unit, which cools the air introduced into theuseful spaces of the cooling facilities, can be additionally provided.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detailbelow with reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a vertical section, taken perpendicularly to the movementdirection of the objects to be dried, through a drier according to theinvention, which is valid both for the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2and that of FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 shows a section according to line II-II of FIG. 1 through a firstexemplary embodiment of a drier according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a section according to line II-II of FIG. 1 through asecond exemplary embodiment of a drier according to the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a vertical section, similar to FIG. 1, through a thirdexemplary embodiment of a drier according to the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a section according to line V-V of FIG. 4.

Reference is made first of all to FIGS. 1 and 2 which togetherillustrate a first exemplary embodiment of a drier. The drier comprisesa housing 1 which is subdivided by a horizontal intermediate ceiling 3into two “storeys”.

Arranged above the housing 1 is a circulating-air heating unit 25. Theair heated by the latter passes via lateral connecting ducts 4, 5 intothe upper “storey” of the housing 1 and there respectively into apressure space 6, 7, adjacent to the lateral outer wall, of a firstdrying facility provided as a whole with the reference symbol 100. Thepressure spaces 6, 7 are bounded inwards by a vertical partition wall 8,9, in which openings provided with filters 10, 11 are situated. Formaintenance of the filters 10, 11 or cleaning of the pressure spaces 6,7, the latter can be accessed, as indicated schematically in theleft-hand pressure space 6.

Formed between the vertical partition walls 8, 9 and the vertical,lateral boundary walls 12, 13 of the useful space 14 of the dryingfacility 100 is respectively an air distribution space 15 and 16. Theheated air passes from the air distribution spaces 15, 16 via nozzles17, 18 in the side walls 12, 13 into a tunnel-like useful space 14 andimpinges there, as indicated by the arrows, on an object to be dried, inthe example illustrated a freshly painted vehicle body 19.

The heated air is then sucked out of the useful space 14 via floor ducts20, 21 provided with adjustable suction openings and passes back to thecirculating-air heating unit 25 via vertical connecting ducts 22, 23provided on both sides of the housing 1. The circulating-air circuitthrough the drying facility is thus completed. The connecting ducts 22,23 cannot be seen directly in FIG. 1 as they are hidden by the pressurespaces 6 and 7, and are merely symbolically indicated by the dashed,upward-pointing arrows.

The objects 19 to be dried are transported through the drying facility100, accommodated in the upper “storey” of the housing 1,perpendicularly to the plane of projection of FIG. 1 with the aid of aconveying device 24.

An almost completely identical drying facility 100′ is situated beneaththe first drying facility 100 in the lower “storey” of the housing 1.This drying facility 100′ likewise comprises a useful space 14′ withside walls 12′, 13′ which bound air distribution spaces 15′, 16′inwards. The air distribution spaces 15′, 16′ are connected to theuseful space 14′ via nozzles 17′, 18′. Lying outside the airdistribution spaces 15′, 16′, separated from the latter by verticalpartition walls 8′, 9′, are pressure spaces 6′, 7′, from which hot aircan pass through filters 10′, 11′ in the partition walls 8′, 9′ into theair distribution spaces 15′, 16′. The heated air is sucked out of theuseful space 14′ via floor ducts 20′, 21′ and passes from there into thesame vertical connecting ducts 22, 23 which have already been describedabove for the drying facility 100 arranged in the upper “storey”.

Whereas in the drying facility 100 situated in the upper “storey” thehot air is fed into the pressure spaces 6, 7 by the circulating-airheating unit 25 directly or via the connecting ducts 4, 5, hot air isfed into the pressure spaces 6′, 7′ of the lower drying facility 100′from the pressure spaces 6, 7 which are assigned to the upper “storey”.Gratings 26, 27 are provided in the floors of the two upper pressurespaces 6, 7 for this purpose, via which gratings the hot air can passinto vertical connecting ducts 28, 29, lying to the side of the floorducts 20, 21, and into the pressure spaces 6′, 7′ belonging to the lower“storey”.

As FIG. 2 makes clear, what has been described above is only a segmentof a complete drier. Further, substantially identically designedsegments adjoin the illustrated segment on the left and right thereof inFIG. 2. At most, these segments differ substantially from the centralsegment in the temperature of the air introduced into the correspondinguseful spaces. The conveying systems 24, 24′ pass, of course, throughall these segments from an inlet lock, arranged at one end of the drierhousing, to an outlet lock arranged at the other end of the drierhousing; both locks are not illustrated in FIG. 2 and fundamentally havea known construction, in particular that of an A-lock.

In the first exemplary embodiment of a drier described above withreference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the drying facilities 100, 100′ situated inthe lower and the upper “storey” of the housing 1 are preferablyoperated simultaneously. In order to enable the drying facility 100′situated in the lower “storey” to be switched off in the case of areduced capacity demand of the whole drier, the gratings 26, 27 are tobe closed by, for example, manually insertable metal plates. In thiscase, the air output of the heating unit 25 is adapted to the reduceddemand, for example using a frequency converter.

In a second exemplary embodiment, which is now described with referenceto FIGS. 1 and 3, the adaptation to a lower drier capacity demand iseffected in a different way. In the description of the first exemplaryembodiment, FIG. 1 was to be understood as a section according to theline I-I of FIG. 2; it is now to be used, in the description of thesecond exemplary embodiment, as a section according to line I-I of FIG.3.

The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3 is very similar to that of FIG. 2;corresponding parts are therefore provided in FIG. 3 with the samereference symbols as in FIGS. 1 and 2. In order to enable the dryingfacility 100′ situated in the lower “storey” of FIG. 3 to be switchedoff in the case of a reduced capacity demand of the whole drier, thefollowing changes have been made compared with the exemplary embodimentof FIG. 2:

Two circulating-air heating units 25, 25′ are now situated above thehousing 1, each of which needs to have only half the air output of theheating unit 25 of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2. With the same airoutput, a doubling of the length of the housing 1 would be possible.Both heating units 25, 25′ are connected via respective connecting ducts4, 4′ and 5, 5′ to the pressure spaces 6, 7 on both sides of the upperuseful space 14. Situated in the connecting duct 4′ which is assigned tothe circulating-air heating unit 25′ on the right in FIG. 3 is a flap30, by which this connecting duct 4′ can be closed. The same appliescorrespondingly to the opposite connecting duct 5′. Correspondingly,further flaps 31 have been inserted into the connecting ducts 28, 29which connect the upper pressure spaces 6, 7 to the lower pressurespaces 6′, 7′, by which flaps these connecting ducts 28, 29 can beclosed if required.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the upper and lower floor ducts20, 21, 20′, 21′ do not open into the same connecting duct. Rather, thedrying facility 100 situated in the upper “storey” of the housing 1 hasits own connecting ducts 22, 23 which lead upwards to thecirculating-air heating unit 25 on the left in FIG. 3 and end at thelevel of the horizontal intermediate ceiling 3, while the floor ducts20′, 21′ of the lower drying facility 100′ open into their ownvertically running connecting ducts 22′, 23′ which penetrate through theintermediate ceiling 3 and lead to the circulating-air heating unit 25′on the right in FIG. 3.

The exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 is operated asfollows:

If the full capacity of the drier is required, both circulating-airheating units 25 and 25′ are used. With the flap 30 open, bothcirculating-air heating units 25, 25′ blow heated air into the lateralpressure spaces 6, 7 of the upper drying facility 100, part of which aircirculates in the manner already described via the useful space 14 ofthe upper drying facility 100, is sucked out via the upper floor ducts20, 21 and is led via the vertical connecting ducts 22, 23 to the firstcirculating-air heating unit 25 again. The other part of the hot airproduced by the two circulating-air heating units 25, 25′ passes throughthe gratings 26, 27 in the floor of the pressure spaces 6, 7 of theupper drying facility 100 into the two pressure spaces 6′, 7′ of thelower “storey”, is circulated via the useful space 14′ there for thepurpose of drying the objects 19′ there, is sucked out via the lowerfloor ducts 20′, 21′ and is led via the vertically running connectingducts 22′, 23′ upwards to the second circulating-air heating unit 25′.

In contrast, if only a lower drier capacity is required, the dryingfacility 100′ situated in the lower storey can be shut down as follows:the circulating-air heating unit 25′ on the right in FIG. 3 is stopped;the flap 30 is closed, as is the flap 31′. The circulating-air heatingunit 25 on the left in FIG. 3 remains in operation, however; the airheated by the latter is circulated solely via the upper useful space 14and dries the objects 19 guided through this space.

Even greater operating flexibility than in the second exemplaryembodiment is possible in the third exemplary embodiment of a drierwhich is described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. This exemplaryembodiment is likewise so similar to the above-described exemplaryembodiments that the same reference symbols are used for correspondingparts.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, completely independentoperation of the two drying facilities 100, 100′ lying one above theother is possible. What is meant by “independent operation” is that eachof these drying facilities 100, 100′ on its own or both dryingfacilities 100, 100′ together can be run at identical or different airtemperatures. For this purpose, the following changes are made comparedwith the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3:

The air heated by the circulating-air heating unit 25′ illustrated atthe top on the right in FIG. 5 is not introduced directly into therespective pressure spaces 6′ and 7′ of the drying facility 100′situated in the lower “storey” but via connecting ducts 36, 37 attachedlaterally to the housing 1. As a result, the two drying facilities 100,100′ situated respectively in the upper and lower “storey” of thehousing 1 are completely uncoupled from one another.

In the above description of FIGS. 1 to 5, it has been assumed that theapparatus illustrated is a drier in each case. However, the same designcan also be employed for coolers; the only change which has to be madefor this purpose consists in replacing the respective circulating-airheating units 25, 25′ by cooling units. An apparatus designed as acooler can, moreover, adjoin an apparatus functioning as a drier, inwhich case merely a short air lock or a similar device which separatesthe warmer atmosphere of the drier from the cool atmosphere of thecooler has to be provided between the two apparatuses.

Optionally, a cooling unit can also be completely dispensed with. Inthis case, fresh air can be blown into the pressure spaces 6, 7, 6′, 7′of the cooler, this fresh air striking the objects 19, 19′ to be cooledin the useful spaces 14, 14′. The air heated thereby is sucked out viathe floor ducts 20, 21, 20′, 21′ and led via the vertical connectingconduits 22, 23, 22′, 23′, now serving as exhaust shafts, to a fan whichconveys the air either into the atmosphere or else feeds it completelyor partially to a following zone or other facilities.

If the fresh air is very cold, it may also be necessary in specialcases, for the purpose of achieving a desired air temperature, toprovide in the cooler a heating device which warms up the fresh airaccordingly.

1. Apparatus for thermally conditioning objects, in particular vehiclebodies, comprising a) a housing; b) at least two thermally conditioningfacilities which are arranged parallel in their operation, areaccommodated in the housing and each comprise: ba) a tunnel-like usefulspace, in which the objects can be impinged by thermally conditionedair; bb) a conveying system, by which the objects can be moved throughthe useful space, characterised in that c) the at least two thermallyconditioning facilities are arranged one above the other in the housing,substantially over the same floor area.
 2. Apparatus according to claim1, characterised in that the air path on which the thermally conditionedair flows to a first thermally conditioning facility leads through asecond thermally conditioning facility.
 3. Apparatus according to claim2, characterised in that there is provided in the air path a device bywhich the passage of thermally conditioned air from the second thermallyconditioning facility into the first thermally conditioning facility canbe interrupted if required.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3,characterised in that the device for interrupting the air path is acontrollable flap.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterised inthat the device for interrupting the air path is a closable louvre. 6.Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least twothermally conditioning facilities at least regionally divide the airpath on which the air is discharged from the useful spaces.
 7. Apparatusaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the air path on which thethermally conditioned air flows to the first thermally conditioningfacility is independent of the air path on which the thermallyconditioned air flows to the second thermally conditioning facility. 8.Apparatus according to claim 3, characterised in that it is designed asa drier and has at least one heating unit for thermally conditioning theair.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that the samenumber of heating units are provided as there are drying facilities. 10.Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that they are designedas coolers.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterised in thatat least one fan, which sucks in fresh air and introduces it asthermally conditioned air into the useful spaces of the coolingfacilities, is provided.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 10,characterised by at least one cooling unit, which cools the airintroduced into the useful spaces of the cooling facilities.